Specifically, they know that traditional measures, such as grades and standardized test scores, don't sufficiently gauge success. So leaders are seeking other relevant and timely data that can support their efforts to build engaged schools where students can prepare to live their best lives.

For the past eight years, Gallup has helped thousands of schools add student feedback to their framework for student success. Students from schools that opted to participate in the survey have completed nearly 5 million surveys since the Gallup Student Poll pilot was launched in 2009.

The Gallup Student Poll provides actionable data that help leaders create a positive school environment for students: one that builds engagement, creates hope for the future, fosters talent and prepares students to participate meaningfully in our nation's economy by finding -- or creating -- a good job someday.

Some of the 24 core items in the Gallup Student Poll have been tested and in use for decades through Gallup's workplace, education and national survey research. Results from the 2016 Gallup Student Poll showed that nearly half (49%) of U.S. public school students from schools that opted to participate in the survey are engaged with school, and 47% are hopeful for the future.

The Gallup Student Poll includes four elements: engagement with school, hope for the future, entrepreneurial aspiration, and career and financial literacy.

Engagement: the involvement in and enthusiasm for school. Engaged students are excited about what's happening at their school and what they're learning. They contribute to the learning environment and are emotionally connected to their school.

Hope: the ideas and energy students have for the future. Hope has been linked to student success in school. Hopeful students are positive about the future and goal-oriented. They can overcome obstacles in the learning process, enabling them to navigate a pathway to achieve their goals.

Entrepreneurial Aspiration: the talent and energy necessary to build businesses that survive, thrive and employ others. By identifying and nurturing students' entrepreneurial talent, educators can empower the next generation of innovators to spur and sustain long-term economic energy.

Financial/Career Literacy: the information, attitudes and behaviors that students need for healthy participation in the economy. Wise economic choices can contribute to a thriving life.

These findings are based on results from the 2016 Gallup Student Poll, which marked the eighth annual survey of students in grades five through 12 and represented about 3,000 public and private schools in the U.S. and Canada. Gallup conducted the survey via web Sept. 26-Oct. 28, 2016.

The four elements included in the Gallup Student Poll complement traditional measures, such as grade-point average, grades, graduation rate and standardized test scores.

Traditional measures illuminate areas of proficiency and areas of weakness. However, a more complete and balanced school success framework includes non-cognitive measures alongside traditional ones to help inspire positive learning environments. Those environments give students the chance to practice what they do best and develop a personal pathway to a good job and a great life.

Inviting students' feedback via the Gallup Student Poll helps schools create that balanced framework, highlighting ways to engage students today and make them ready and hopeful for the future.

The next article in this series describes engagement differences between younger and older students.

Survey Methods

The Gallup Student Poll results and findings are based on surveys collected via web from 909,617 students in grades five through 12, representing about 3,000 schools from 540 school districts across 49 states and the District of Columbia. Massachusetts was the only U.S. state not included in the poll. The online poll was completed by a convenience sample of schools and districts from Sept. 26-Oct. 28, 2016. Gallup does not randomly select schools participating in the annual Gallup Student Poll, nor does Gallup charge or provide any incentives for participation beyond school-specific data. Participation rates vary by school. The survey is anonymous and only group data are reported.

The annual Gallup Student Poll is offered at no cost for U.S. schools and districts. Gallup Student Poll data are not statistically weighted to account for nonresponse bias; therefore, the overall data from the annual administration of the Gallup Student Poll may not be generalizable to the U.S. student population of fifth- through 12th-grade students.

This fall, the Gallup Student Poll will be available at no cost to schools in the U.S. and Canada from Sept. 25-Oct. 27, 2017.

Mark Reckmeyer, Sr. Consultant, provided database management and analytics support for this article.

Valerie J. Calderon, Ph.D., is a Sr. Research Consultant at Gallup Education.

Recommended

Gallup recently discovered that 31% of U.S. teachers are engaged in their work, meaning that less than one in three teachers are involved with, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and their school.

More than eight in 10 U.S. K-12 superintendents say student engagement with classwork, hope for the future and the percentage of students who graduate from high school are "very important" measures of a public school's effectiveness.